Question is pretty much in the title, as a primary PvPer the only content I have to look foward to is PvP content added to the game. My question is simple are you guys still working on this "Azhara's Crater Map"? Or did you guys scrap the idea?

Cory Stockton addressed this during the press event. We stated at BlizzCon we had three map ideas we were considering, but the plan was always to choose two for the initial launch of the expansion. The DotA-style map was the one we decided not to run with for launch. It's still a Battleground gameplay style we'd like to do during the Mists of Pandaria life cycle.

Media Presentation - General

The final patch of Mists of Pandaria will be the Siege of Orgrimmar! Both factions lay siege to the city to bring Garrosh down and end his reign of Warchief.

There's a huge Horde vs. Alliance storyline. The war between the Alliance and Horde heats up as they roll into Pandaria, and it will serve as a major battleground, but things get so gnarly and out of control, and war crimes are committed by one side, it begins to spiral into crazyville.

The Mists of Pandaria storyline is split into two. The whole Pandaren arc where you will discover their continent, help solve problems, figure out what happened for the past 10,000 years and why. The second part of the storyline is obviously the war between the Horde and the Alliance.

In some ways, Mists of Pandaria is more of a spiritual successor to classic WoW, with the call to adventure. It wasn't about a giant world boss or big overarching problem, it was just about exploring. Experience this faction, see the world, engage the cultures, have an adventure, that was the spirit of the first game. In many ways Mists of Pandaria gets back into that.

The patches for Mists were conceptualized almost as a sequel to the box product, meaning that after you’ve helped the Pandaren save their land, the story kicks into a different gear. All of the heavy armor and wrath of these two great factions begin to collide, and the story really starts going from there.

This expansion is not a joke. It is not light and fluffy, although the Pandaren are fun and super zen. The conflict between Alliance and Horde is gearing up to hit a fevered pitch unlike any we have ever seen.

Why this and why now? This expansion will be a nice vacation that feels like an adventure before things ramp up in future expansions.

Just because Pandaren were debuted as an April Fool’s Joke a few years back, that does not mean they are viewed as a silly and comedic idea. They have always loved Pandaren and wanted to put them into the game. Pandaren were in serious consideration for the Alliance race in Burning Crusade.

They are adding armor to creatures to give them varied appearances, something other than just simple color changes.

Media Presentation - The Pandarens

Aysa Cloudsinger is a follower of the path of Tushui, which believes in living a venerable life through meditation, rigorous training, and moral conviction. She has attained impeccable form and a refined intellect through diligent practice. To Aysa, to follow the way of Tushui is to defend what is right above all else. She believes that success in any endeavor never justifies dishonorable deeds. While the Alliance contains a diverse mix of cultures, Aysa is attracted to the high ideals and values that cement the Alliance together.

Ji Firepaw, a follower of the more direct Houjin philosophy, is adamant that inaction is the greatest injustice. He holds that it’s honorable to defend home and family no matter the cost. Outgoing, passionate, and not one for deep thought, he is always the first into the fray. Ji finds himself attracted to the scrappy practicality that defines the Horde. Although it will cost him dearly, he will decide to carry the Horde banner when he leaves the Wandering Isle.

Chen Stormstout

Warcraft III players may recall his chance meeting with Rexxar in the game’s bonus missions, where he worked together with Thrall to found the new orcish homeland in Durotar.

Later, he accompanied heroes such as Vol’jin and Jaina Proudmoore to liberate Theramore and protect the fledgling Horde from annihilation.

Media Presentation - Zones

The Wandering Isle

The isle will not appear on the map of Pandaria.

Those who follow the path of the Houjin are impulsive, quick to action, and practical. Houjin disciples feel that the ends can justify the means, and they may find like-minded compatriots in the Horde.

The followers of the path of the Tushui are more contemplative, focused on abstract ideals of justice and morality. Students of Tushui believe that a principled life is the only one worth living, and may find that the stalwart Alliance aligns more closely with their beliefs.

There are now seven zones, up from five. This was done to add more content to the game and give players a less linear progression path so that leveling for a second or third time isn’t the exact same.

The Sha

In Pandaria, negative emotions like fear, hatred, and anger take on a physical presence or dark energy called the Sha.

Unwary mortals can also become possessed by negative Sha energy, becoming embodiments of pure anger or fear.

Jade Forest

The Temple of the Jade Serpent is located here and is the first dungeon.

This temple marks a special place in Pandaren history, because this is where the last emperor defeated the Sha of Doubt and imprisoned it in the ground.

This temple is going to be completely overwhelmed by this dark energy, so you are going to have to go in and clear it.

There are four ancestor spirits that guard over Pandaria. The Jade Serpent has the temple dedicated to her, as well as a statue in the zone.

The Alliance and Horde enter from the North and the South with a small force of survivors from a shipwreck.

There will eventually be a large battle in the middle of the zone.

The Jinyu

They are a fish-man race that is found throughout Pandaria.

They are an elder and wise race, looked up to by the Pandaren.

The water speakers are an upper caste that uses the river to listen to the future

The Jinyu are recruited by the Alliance to go to escalate their war with the Hozen. The Jinyu have always been at war with the Hozen.

The Hozen

They act like a group of 14 year old boys running around together in the jungle, equipped with machine guns and weapons from the Horde.

They are also found all over Pandaria, even in one of the dungeons.

There are Jungle Hozen and Mountain Hozen, the heartier kind.

The Horde are going to work with the Hozen here and recruit this tribe to help fight their war.

We are going to give the monkeys machine guns and rocket launchers. This is a good plan; nothing could go wrong with this plan.

Cloud Serpents

They are the Pandaren's mount of choice.

You can raise your own over the course of roughly 20 days.

You first will pick an egg and color to gain a tiny pet that will follow you.

After doing daily quests with this pet, it will become a full size dragon that you can ride.

Once you can ride the dragon you must do more quests to train it, such as racing through stone pillars as the Pandaren in the stands cheer you on.

Valley of the Four Winds

It is the heartland of Pandaria, where the Pandaren farm their crops.

They grow extremely large vegetables here because there are waters that have been flowing down from Vale of Eternal Blossoms for millenia.

Tillers

This is the farmer's market here, which is the social hub of the Valley of the Four Windows.

Every day farmers will come to the market with different problems, providing daily quests.

You will help Farmer Yun fix up his overgrown farm, which will show your progression with the faction.

You can clear plots of land and plant things like cooking ingredients, herbalism nodes, gifts for the different NPCs to build your reputation. You then come back the next day to harvest what has grown.

You will be able to decorate the farm as you gain reputation. For example, you can add some pigs and slop, some other animals, and grow an apple orchard.

Stormstout Brewery

The dungeon is in the world at full size, meaning it can be used for questing as well.

Things are not going well inside, so you have to clean house with Chen Stormstout.

Krasarang Wilds

This used to be a subzone of Valley of the Four Winds.

It is a coastal rainforest with a lot of story in it.

The Mogu

They are the original rulers of Pandaria, ruling the land 10,000 years ago.

During that time they built temples all across the world, which are now ruins that you will find while questing.

Now they want their land back and are another threat that you will be dealing with the entire time.

You will come across them in both raids and dungeons.

If they get their empire back it would be bad news for the Pandaren, which is why they are such a big threat.

They are flesh-shapers and can create other creatures.

The Saurok

They are a race of lizard-men created by the Mogu.

They were designed to be smart enough to use weapons and fight for the Mogu, but over the years some escaped.

They will be found across Pandaria and in dungeons.

In one of the patches, the Alliance and Horde will roll up onto the beach along with their fleet, armor, tanks, and build a fortress on the island. Both King Varian Wrynn and Garrosh Hellscream will make an appearance.

Sometime in the wake of the Cataclysm, the mists abruptly vanished. The world will change over the course of the patches, especially this area.

In Patch 5.1 the beach on Krasarang Wilds will erupt into a battlezone.

Turtle Beach is another important historical part of Pandaria, as it is where Liu Lang, the first Pandarian explorer decided to see what was beyond the mists. He set off on the back of a giant turtle, which grew to become the Wandering Isle.

There are little historical points of interest all around the world and you will be able to visit all of them to collect the story. One of these points is the statue of Liu Lang on Turtle Beach.

Kun-Lai Summit

The zone is broken up into two separate areas, the lowland planes and the highest mountains in Azeroth.

The Yaungol

Their situation is similar to the Taunka in Northrend, as they got separated when Pandaria broke off from the main continents.

They have been forced out of their homeland by the Mantid in Townlong Steppes.

They are aggressive here because they are looking for a new place to set up their homes.

The Grummles

They were also created by the Mogu as a slave race to haul things around.

They make good guides and can carry many times their own weight.

They have a trade route that stretches across the zone called the Burlap Trail, which they will need your help with as this is very dangerous area.

The Shado-pan

The Shado-pan are the most elite warriors of the Pandaren society and they understand the threat of the Sha.

You have to earn the trust of the Shado-pan and work your way up through the ranks.

Shado-pan Monastery is located here in the outdoor world.

Vale of Eternal Blossoms

It is the original seat of the Mogu empire.

There are a set of sacred pools here that the Mogu used to build their empire.

Everyone that is here in Pandaria is fighting over the pools to take control of the power again.

Both Alliance and Horde will have their own player hub here, which will include an auction house, bank, and general vendors.

The zone will be under siege by the Mogu, who want to take their land back.

Golden Lotus

They were chosen by the Celestials to be the guardians of this zone.

There are not enough of them to fight the Mogu, so they need your help.

They don't trust you at first, so you will have to earn their trust. A different part of the valley will be under attack by the Mogu every day. When you first start working with them you will do some exploration and discovery. As you earn the trust of the Golden Lotus, they will send you to the front lines.

As you progress with them more of the doors open to a vault

As you collect the stories from the historical points of interest around the world you can bring them back to the Vale to the Lore Walkers.

The Lore Walkers are responsible for holding all the lore of Pandaria, so you can bring back the things you find and ask them about it, and they will walk up on stage and give a presentation.

Brewmasters

This faction is scattered across the world looking for rare ingredients to mix into their brews.

When you find the Brewmasters you will unlock a scenario. Doing these will give you reputation with the Brewmasters.

Kun-Lai Summit, Jade Forest, Krasarang Wilds, and Valley of the Four Winds are all filled with content and ready. Townlong Steppes and Vale of Eternal Blossoms are mostly complete.

Media Presentation - PvP

Arenas

There will be one new arena at launch.

Battlegrounds

The Temple of ?? Mogu

Located in ancient Mogu temple that located in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.

You will have a damage buff while holding the artifact. You will also be gaining points for your team as well.

The artifact has a curse that damages you over time. The longer that you hold it, the less healing that you can take.

It is going to be difficult for one person to keep the artifact for the whole time.

There will be three point zones, with the middle one giving 3 points and the outer one giving 1 point.

Gameplay is very fast paced, very different from other battlegrounds.

Silver Shard Mine

It takes place underneath Stranglethorn Vale in an Adventure Company goblin mine.

Both the Alliance and Horde are trying to get a hold of the mineral rich resources.

There are minecarts that take off from the center of the map and head to three different supply chains. As they are on the way to the depot, you can capture them in the same way you capture points in Eye of the Storm.

Both factions try to capture the cart before it reaches the end of the line, but there are checkpoints along the line that can be channeled to switch the direction the cart will go from left to right, giving your faction time to reclaim it.

Media Presentation - Talent System and Monk

Talent System

The idea behind the talents was adding a way for players to differentiate themselves and customize their abilities and utilities.

If you came back to the game you would go to a website and find the right build for your spec, take that, and never interact with the talent system again.

Most of the new talents don't add player power directly, but instead give you a benifit that is very difficult to weight mathematically.

In the case where the talents do provide power, they are on a tier with two other talents that provide an equal amount of power. It might be different ways of measuring the power, maybe it is a random proc versus something you can press on demand.

You shouldn't feel like you have to take a certain talent if you are a healer. You can take any of the three talents and have fun with those.

The Tome of the Clear Mind is the new consumable used for changing glyphs and talents, and only costs a little bit of gold.

Monks

There are a ton of new animations for the Monk and a lot of spell effects that are in place now. Almost every ability has a unique animation. If you are in healing mode, you will be using slightly different animations than if you are in melee DPS mode.

Currently, every race except goblin and worgen can learn the ways of the monk.

The way it works now is, if you are in melee or tank mode, you have an energy bar, but there are only a few abilities that use energy.

There are a couple of attacks that use energy, which builds up a second resource, which are the white spheres there, called Chi.

They are really trying to capture the feel of a button masher fighting game where you might chain combos together.

They don't want it to feel like our existing warrior class, so they don't have a Charge, but they do have a Roll that works more like a Blink. There is another ability lets you fly until you hit the button again and then you come down.

Spinning Crane Kick is the big AoE spell.

Fists of Fury is one of your big three combo point attacks.

Windwalker is the melee DPS spec, Brewmaster is the tanking spec, and Mistweaver is the healing spec.

If you become a Mistweaver, your energy bar is replaced with a mana bar, and you can cast heals much like our other healers, but you stand toe-to-toe and do some melee damage still.

Media Presentation - Dungeons

Stormstout Brewery

The Hozan have invaded and Chen Stormstout has tasked you with clearing them out.

They are having knife fights, seeing things, and sleeping because they got into the beer. You run around on barrels trying to break up the party.

And after you defeat enough of them, Ook-ook, the boss that is up on the ledge, will come down and the first boss encounter here will start.

The second section has the Virmen, which are evil, crazy bunnies that will eat anything.

The biggest Virmen of them all is Hoptallus, the next boss. He has a furlwind attack and carrot breath that you have to avoid.

The third section has old beer that has gone bad and come alive. It has Stormbrew Alementals and spirits.

The final boss is Yan-Zhu the Uncasked a beer elemental.

Scholomance

The artists have added a lot of new art throughout the dungeon, including new undead models.

New lighting and particle effects have been added as well.

Jandice Barov still uses a lot of illusions to try and attack you, but they have been able to really punch up that encounter a lot.

Lillian Voss is now in the room full of skeletons being raised. She is here for revenge against Darkmaster Gandling, who is taunting her.

The old classroom had benches added and creepy paintings on the wall that are always watching you.

Darkmaster Gandling is the final boss, who still sends you into his rooms with undead that you must fight your way out of.

There will be nine level 90 heroics for players as well as three raids with 14 raid bosses. All of the raids are all going to have three difficulties.

In Cataclysm so much of the mindshare went into the revamp of the level 1-60 zones and the creation of the content itself, that they didn't really have an opportunity to create a lot of those new types of gameplay elements.

Media Presentation - Scenarios

To enter a scenario, you'll queue up for it a lot like you would a dungeon. Each scenario is designed to take roughly 10 to 30 minutes to complete.

Most are some slice of the world that has been carved out, to give you things to do as a group that you normally wouldn't be able to do while questing.

People were not doing group quests because they couldn’t find people in the past, so now group quests are something you can queue for.

The instancing provides the ability to make that there aren't different groups competing for the objectives and causing problems for each other.

The UI will present a number of objectives once you enter the scenario.

For example, you can help the Brewmaster create her Lightning Lager that can only be brewed while it's raining and in the middle of a thunderstorm. This is done by defending the brewery from the saurok while putting out fires.

Scenarios don't use the traditional tank/healer/dps set up, which would be slower. Combat is more similar to questing than dungeons.

There should be at least five ready for launch, but there may be more.

Scenarios will reward Valor points.

Media Presentation - Pet Battle System

For years blizzard has wanted to have mini games in World of Warcraft. They have also always wanted something more for pets but they didn't not want them to be mandatory. The pet battle system allows a perfect solution for both, and gives players something to do after dungeons, raids, challenges, scenarios, and battlegrounds.

The pet UI has been fully updated. On the left you will see a list of all the pets you have, and the ones you don’t as well as where to find those pets. When you click on a pet, you have, it will pull up a pet card with all the information on the pet

Pets will have health, levels, attack, defense, and movement speed (which is an initiative type of value) . Pets will also have 6 abilities, of which they can choose three of. It will work just like the players talent system. Two per row, can only pick one per row. You will be able to change these outside of battle. You unlock more abilities by leveling the pet up

You can name all your pets, and they will be shared across all characters.

When you enter a battle, you will see both players along with that player’s pets lined up in front of them.

You will be able to switch your pets between the ones you have selected mid fight. They also now run up to the enemy pet to attack it!

When you challenge another player in the world, it'll just kind of smoothly zoom in to this view. When you finish, it'll just pull right back on out to your normal gameplay view.

There will also be random critters and NPCs out in the world you can fight to level up your pets. As well as a queuing system to queue and fight other players.

There are roughly 100 wild pets across Azeroth to collect.

PvP pet battles are going to be a fun and causal. They do not want losing to feel like a big deal because that's really what drives a lot of people out of it. They will only track the number of wins and not the number of loses. You will also not see the other players name, and the players can not talk to one another. It should feel like your playing against another NPC (that just happens to be very smart).

Media Presentation - Challenge Modes

Challenge modes will be a new kind of activity for max level players that enjoy dungeons and raids. They will introduce a new form of competitive PvE for the first time, a new way to compete against your friends without that feeling of direct PvP confrontation. The point of challenge modes will be prestige, and not character power.

The challenge mode UI will display what dungeons you have completed challenge modes in ex: "You have completed another dungeon and earned a bronze medal in that". When you click on an instance, it will show you the different times you need to hit to earn each medal. While playing, on the right you will have a clock showing you have much time is left before you move to the next medal bracket.

You will always start off with a gold medal, if you take to much time, it will drop to a silver, and then from there to a bronze. The vast majority of players will most likely earn a bronze medal even if they are a relatively unskilled player.

Collecting all of the medal types for all the dungeons will give different rewards to players:

Collecting all the bronze medals will earn an achievement with a title.

Collecting all the silver medals will earn you visually spectacular gear that can be used for transmogrification. All of these sets have been built completely custom for each class and are unlike any other armor set that we have in the game. In addition, something that we are doing with these armor sets that we have never done before is giving them all unique effects that trigger off of something you do with your character class.

Collecting all the gold medals will reward the player with a unique epic mount called the flying Kwai-Lan, which will not be rewarded any other way. It is similar to one of those Chinese dog statues with a Mogu like head.

You will be able to look through the leaderboard at all the times on your realm as well as being able to compare them to friends and guild mates. The times will be tracked down to the milliseconds. The current plan is to save the time to 7 places.

Challenge modes will be available for the six new dungeons at launch.

Interview with Tom Chilton

No new race models yet, but they're working on it. At best, dwarves might have been ready for the MoP release.

An 11th character slot has been added.

Higher resolution textures and less texture stretching on shear surfaces has been added.

Account-wide pets have been confirmed. The rest is still unconfirmed but the next thing on the list is account-wide achievements.

AoE Looting has been added! When you loot one creature, the loot from all the other creatures in lootable range will be included in the same loot window!

Guild Perks

New guild perks are coming, if only to replace the ones that didn’t work out so well.

"Have Group, Will Travel" will be replaced for example, because the goal in MoP is to emphasize on going out into the world to do stuff.

Scaling down your level/power to play with friends who aren't level at the level cap is a feature they still want to include. It might be there for the launch of MoP.

We are excited to get players into the beta very soon, because that is going to be the true test of whether or not it is awesome.

Interview with Greg Street

There will not be an item squish in Mist of Pandaria, but it is possible that we may see it in 6.0 or 7.0 if players want it.

Monks

Monks now have a simplified/modified resource system. The Monk’s main resource will now be orbs of energy called Chi. The Tank and Dps specs of the Monk use energy so that most of their abilities do not need cooldowns, as well as Chi.

They feel the Monk’s abilities are very unique, you get to choose how you wish to combo the spells together (via spending a 3 force, 2 force, or a 1 force ability) giving them the Street Fighter button mashing feel.

Monks have some amazing animations.

Warlocks

The warlock currently has had the most changes

Destruction Warlocks now build up a fiery force, as their whole body catches on fire

Demonology Warlocks now have a bar that fills up, allowing them to control when and how long they can stay in Demon Form.

Female Voidwalkers will have a bow on their head (not really) The idea of Female Warlock pets is still on the table, however its on a rather long list. We may still see them in 5.0 or 5.1 (or a later patch)

There will be new Warlock pets in Mists. If you choose the right talent combinations, you can get a Shivan (The big six armed demons from Burning Crusade), A Wrath Guard, and a few others, such as a “Beholder” (The big orbs with eyes)

Paladins are in a very good place, they fixed some of the RNG in their rotations and added more reliable Holy Power.

Challenge Modes

Challenge modes will not have world rankings at first. They will have region rankings on their website.

You will be able to view times of friends and guildies while in-game.

The rankings for challenge mode will be metals: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. They may have some more beyond that at some point.

Challenge modes are meant to be a little harder than heroics

They feel only a few percent of players on each realm will ever get gold, and they like that.

They will be tracking times down to the milliseconds, as if you’re doing the 50 yard dash.

With the introduction of gear scaling, using this system for evenly matched PvP is something on their mind. However, gear is one of the main rewards in the game. If they did something like this, it would be a side thing.

Balancing the battleground teams is something on their mind, but they have to balance it with the increased wait time that would be a result.

They have always wanted minor glyphs to be ‘fun’ glyphs. We will be seeing a lot of new minor glyphs that do fun things such as a minor glyph that makes the Mage “Teleport: Dalaran” send you to the Dalaran crater instead of Dalaran in Northrend. A Warrior could have one that fears critters when they use Battle Shout or Commanding Shout.

They are also changing major glyphs in a way they think will surprise and amaze players.

Interview with Cory Stockton

Dungeons

The Gate of the Setting Sun is a dungeon that takes place at the Great Pandarian Wall with the Mantid attempting to break it down and the Shado-pan defending.

Mogu'Shan Palace is now a dungeon in Vale of Eternal Blossoms with the Mogu and Saurok.

The unnamed Mantid dungeon has them attacking the Ox Temple.

Raids

There will be three raids with 14 bosses at launch.

There will be two world bosses at launch.

Mogu’shan Vaults is a Mogu raid where you fight the ghosts of the Mogu.

There is a Mantid raid where you fight the local Mantid empress.

There is a Sha raid where you fight local creatures who have been made Sha and a Sha final boss.

Scenarios

Scenarios will take place at level 90 and be instanced.

They are a replacement for group quests that no one really took part in.

They will reward reputation or later on profession related skill or items.

New Talent System

The choices that you make should actually matter, make your character feel unique, and add customization.

The talents that add player power will now be easier to balance.

You might not want to swap for every boss, but you are able to if you want to.

Pre Mists of Pandaria Patch

We might add a scenario that involves Theramore and the Alliance vs Horde theme.

We might have Chen Stormstout come to the local cities and get players excited about what is coming.

The patch will be roughly two weeks before launch and bring simple rewards.

Gear Scaling Tech

If Challenge Mode dungeons go well, the tech could be used with older dungeons.

The tech could also be used in Scenarios that you could play while leveling or at the level cap.

Scholomance

The gameplay is now much better, especially Jandice’s room.

Deadmines and Shadowfang are similar but there was less freedom to upgrade the art or change the layout.

Mounts

There will be less sharing of colors. For example, the raid and heroic dungeon completion mounts will not just be different in color, they will be different mounts.

There will still be some places where mounts differ only in color, but they will be rewarded in different ways.

Armor can also be added to make them feel different in a way that isn’t a changed color.

There will be some unique mounts, so that when you see someone with it you will recognize that they have really accomplished something.

There are already more new mounts than there were in Cataclysm.

LFR Loot System

Everyone rolls on the items from a boss individually.

If you win the roll, the system checks the boss’s loot table and if there is an item for you, you win it.

This way other people cannot impact what you win, only the roll you get can.

You aren’t always guaranteed something. If the boss doesn’t have an item you can use then you won’t win anything.

It could be added to more parts of the game in the future, but LFR is a good place to start.

Mists of Pandaria Press Tour - Monk Skills and Talents
This is a complete list of skills and talents available in the playable version of Mists of Pandaria at the press tour.

Special thanks to Elysia for sitting down for sitting down for hours to write down everything to bring it to you as soon as possible!

Skills - Brewmaster

Originally Posted by MMO-Champion

Brewmaster (Tanking Spec) Abilities

Stance of the Drunken Ox (LVL 10)

Reduces damage taken by 20%, and increases your chance to Stagger damage by 25%.

Stagger

You shrug of attacks, causing 50% of the damage to happen instantly and the remaining 50% to happen 3 seconds later. Brewmaster mastery reduces the after-effect Stagger damage taken.

Breath of Fire (LVL 18)

2 Chi, 40 Yard Range, Instant

Requires Ox Stance

Breathes fire onto the target, causing 3,573 damage. Damage is multipled by the number of Drunken Haze stacks on the target.

Drunken Haze (LVL 22)

40 Energy, 40 Yard Range, Instant

Requires Ox Stance

You hurl a keg of your finest brew, reducing the movement speed of all enemies within 8 yards by 15%. Affected targets have a 3% chance to have their attacks misfire and strike themselves instead for 12,299 damage. Stacks up to 3 times.

Leer of the Ox (LVL 24)

Instant, 20 sec cooldown

Requires Ox Stance

Your Ox Statue stirs hatred in the target, reducing their movement speed by 50% and causing them to attack the statue for 8 seconds. The statue must be within 40 yards of the target.

If your healing done by Soothing Mists is completely effective, you have a 25% chance to generate 1 Chi.

Internal Medicine (LVL 20)

Your detox spell now also clears all Magical effects when used.

Jasmine Force Tea (LVL 24)

0 Mana plus 1200 per second, Channeled

Requires Serpent Stance

You regenerate 1 Chi every 2 seconds for 3 seconds.

Surging Mist (LVL 34)

1000 Mana, 40 yard range, Instant Cast

Requires Serpent Stance

Heals the lowest health friendly target within 40 yards for 12,865.

If cast while channeling Soothing Mists, Surging Mist will be instant cast and heal that target over all others.

Renewing Mist (LVL 42)

400 Mana, 40 yard range, Instant Cast

Requires Serpent Stance

You surround the target with healing mists, restoring 1,406 health every 0.92 for 10.08 seconds to up to 3 friendly targets within 8 yards.

Renewing Mist travels from friendly target to target when it heals, up to $n times.

Cherry Mana Tea (LVL 56)

Channeled

Requires Serpent Stance

For each 3 Chi you consume, you gain a charge of Mana Tea.

Use Mana Tea to consume the charges. Each charge restores 5% of you maximum mana. Mana Tea must be channeled, lasting 1 second per stack. Mana Tea can stack up to 50 times.

Cancelling the channel will not waste stacks.

Uplift (LVL 62)

2 Chi, Instant

Requires Serpent Stance

Instantly refreshes the duration of all of your Renewing Mist periodic effects on allies, and heals them for 3,304.

Thunder Focus Tea (LVL 66)

1 Chi, Instant

Requires Serpent Stance

You receive a jolt of energy, doubling the healing done by your next Surging Mist or Uplift within 10 seconds.

Summon Jade Serpent Statue (LVL 70)

1200 Mana, 40 yard range, 4.58 sec cast

Requires Serpent Stance

Summons a Jade Serpent Statue at the target location. Lasts for 15 minutes. Limit 2 Statues. Only two Statues can be active or summoned within a combat session.

Eminence (passive)

When the Monk deals damage, the summoned Jade Serpent Statues will heal the lowest health nearby target within 20 yards equal to 50% of the damage done.

Serpent's Salve (on-click effect)

Allies can right-click on the Statue to instantly be healed for 3,786. 10 charges.

Teachings of the Monastery (LVL 72)

You become adept in the ways of the Mistweaver, amplifying three of your abilities.

Surging Mist

When you Jab or Expel Harm, the cast time of your next Surging Mist is reduced by 50%. Stacks up to 2 times. Lasts 12 seconds.

Expel Harm

Expel Harm no longer has a cooldown.

Spinning Crane Kick

When you deal damage with Spinning Crane Kick while in Stance of the Wise Serpent, you heal nearby allies equal to 100% of the damage done.

Revival (LVL 78)

1400 Mana, 40 yard range, Instant Cast, 3 min cooldown

Requires Serpent Stance

You revive the target's spirit, temporarily resurrecting them for until cancelled with 50% health and mana.

Revival does not count towards the combat resurrection limit.

Mastery: Gift of the Serpent (LVL 80)

You have a 25.5% chance when you heal to summon a Solace Sphere nearby an injured ally.

Each point of Mastery increases the chance to summon a Solace Sphere by an additional 3%.

Skills - Windwalker

Originally Posted by MMO-Champion

Windwalker (DPS spec) Abilities

Fists of Fury (LVL 10)

3 Chi, Melee Range, Channeled, 45 sec cooldown

Requires Tiger Stance

Pummel all targets in front of you with rapid hand strikes, stunning them and dealing 1 damage every 1 second for 4 seconds.

Flying Serpent Kick (LVL 18)

Instant, 25 sec cooldown

Soar through the air forwards at an increased speed.

While traveling, use Flying Serpent Kick again to land yourself, dealing 300 damage to all enemies within 8 yards, and slowing them by 70% for 4 seconds.

Afterlife (LVL 26)

When you kill an enemy while gaining experience or honor, you have a 50% chance to summon a healing sphere.

Healing Sphere

You form a Healing Sphere out of a healing mists at the target location for 30 seconds. If allies walk through it, they consume the sphere, healing themselves for 4,928. Maximum of 3 Healing Spheres can be active by the Monk at any given time.

Energizing Wine (LVL 34)

Instant, 1 min cooldown

Requires Tiger Stance

Regenerates 60 Energy over 6 seconds, can only be used while in combat.

Sparring (LVL 42)

Requires Ox Stance, Tiger Stance

When you are attacked by a melee enemy in front of you begin to spar their attacks, increasing your chance to parry by 5% for 10 seconds. This effect has a 30 second cooldown.

When you attack them back, Sparring is amplified by an additional 5%. Stacks up to 3 times.

Exploding Jade Blossom (LVL 48)

1 Chi, 30 yard range, Instant

Requires Ox Stance, Tiger Stance

Deals 13,505 Physical damage to the first enemy target in front of you within 30 yards, rooting them for 2 seconds.

If Exploding Jade Blossom travels further than 10 yards, the damage is increased by 50%.

Rising Sun Kick (LVL 56)

2 Chi, Melee Range, Instant, 8 sec cooldown

You kick upwards, attacking the enemy twice for 1,066 weapon damage with a 30% chance to perform a third attack.

When you consume 3 Chi, your Statue will conjure a White Tiger Effigy which travels towards the last enemy you attacked, dealing 846 damage.

If the effigy travels for 5 seconds, it becomes lusted, moving at a greater speed and dealing 100% increased damage.

Tiger's Lust (on-click effect)

Increases the damage done by the ally and the Monk by 15% for 6 seconds. Limit 2 charges per statue.

Muscle Memory (LVL 72)

Your fighting technique improves over time during combat. Anytime you Jab a target from behind, your chance to critically hit with Jab increases by 1% for 30 seconds. This effect can stack up to 100 times.

Leaving combat or an encounter will clear your Muscle Memory.

Mastery: Combo Breaker (LVL 80)

Grants an 11% chance for Jab to cause your next Tiger Palm to cost no Chi, or your next Blackout Kick to cost no Chi and be usable on targets regardless of their health percentage.

Each point of Mastery increases the chance by an additional 1.4%.

Skills - Baseline

Originally Posted by MMO-Champion

Baseline Abilities

Blackout Kick

2 Chi, Melee Range, Instant, 3 sec cooldown

Kick with a blast of sha energy, causing 471 Physical damage to an enemy target. Only useable on targets at or below 35% health.

If the enemy attacks you within melee range while victim to Crackling Jade Lightning, they are knocked back a short distance. This effect has an 8 second cooldown.

Detox

520 Mana, 40 yard range, Instant Cast, 8 sec cooldown

Eliminates ailments from the friendly target, removing all harmful Poison and Bleed effects.

Disable

15 Energy, Melee Range, Instant

You attempte to disable the target's movement, reducing their movement speed by 25%. Stacks up to 2 times.

If you use Disable a third time on a target while they have 2 stacks, all stacks will be consumed and they will be rooted for 8 seconds.

Expel Harm

400 Mana, Melee Range, Instant Cast, 15 sec cooldown

Instantly heals the target for 14,896, and causes 120% of the amount healed to instantly be dealt to a nearby enemy as damage within 5 yards of the target.

Fortifying Ale

Instant, 3 min cooldown

Increases your health by 100%, but you cannot be healed. Lasts 20 seconds.

Grapple Weapon

40 yard range, Instant, 1 min cooldown

You fire off a rope spear, grappling the target's weapon and shield, returning them to you. Depending on the quality of the weapon, your damage done, healing done, and damage reduction may be increased.

Healing Sphere

300 Mana, 40 yard range, 1.37 sec cast

You form a Healing Sphere out of a healing mists at the target location for 30 seconds. If allies walk through it, they consume the sphere, healing themselves for 4,928. Maximum of 3 Healing Spheres can be active by the Monk at any given time.

Jab

40 Energy, Melee Range, Instant

You Jab the target, dealing 139 damage and generating 1 Chi.

Legacy of the Emperor

40 yard range, Instant

You extol the words of the last emperor, increasing Strength, Agility, and Intellect by 5%.

If the target is in your party or raid, all party and raid members will be affected.

Meditation

Channeled, 3 min cooldown

Reduces all damage taken by 99% and redirects to you all harmful spells cast against your allies within 30 yards. Lasts 10 seconds.

Being the victim of a melee attack will break your Meditation, cancelling the effect.

Paralysis

Melee Range, Instant 15 sec cooldown

You cause the target's muscles to contract, incapacitating them for 30 seconds. If done from behind the target, the duration is doubled. Only one target can be victim to Paralysis at any given time. Any damage taken will cancel the effect.

Your roll ability will move you at a slightly longer distance, and at a slightly quicker speed.

Momentum

Every time you roll, you gain a stacking 10% movement speed buff. Stacks up to 3 times.

Tier 2 Talents (LVL 30)

Mystery Talent

Coming soon?

Ascendance

Increases the amount of maximum Chi by 1.

Jiny'u Cider

Instant, 1.5 min cooldown

Instantly restores all your Chi.

Tier 3 Talents (LVL 45)

Deadly Reach

Your Paralysis ability is now usable from 40 yards away.

Charging Ox Wave

1 Chi, 40 yard range, Instant

A mighty Ox effigy rushes towards the target, stunning all enemies within its path for 3 seconds. When the Ox reaches the enemy, they and all nearby enemies within 0 yards are knocked back a short distance.

Leg Sweep

1 Chi, Instant, 25 sec cooldown

You knock down all enemies within 5 yards, effectively stunning them for 6 seconds.

Tier 4 Talents (LVL 60)

Beguile

When attacked, your movement speed is increased by 3% and you cause all nearby enemies to move at 3% reduced speed within 8 yards. This effect can stack up to 6 times.

Dematerialize

Channeled, 45 sec cooldown

You escape your Physical form, dematerializing into the ether avoiding all damage for 3 seconds.

Tiger's Lust

Melee Range, Instant, 1 min cooldown

Instantly clears the target of all immobilizing and movement impairing effects, and increases their movement speed by 70% for 6 seconds.

Tier 5 Talents (LVL 75)

Chi Bind

Instant, 1 min cooldown

Binds yourself to your targeted statue with a tether of chi energy, causing any friend or foe caught in its path to take x damage or y healing.

Chi Serpent

1 Chi, 60 yard range, Instant, 2 min cooldown

You summon a ball of chi energy, dealing damage and healing all targets within its path within 60 yards.

While it's traveling, you can discharge the sphere, dealing x damage/healing to all targets at it's current location and reducing/increasing all targets movement speed by 70% for 3 seconds, but cancelling the sphere.

Chi Torpedo

50 Energy, Instant

Torpedo a distance in front of you, dealing 1 damage to all enemies and 981 healing all allies in your path.

Tier 6 Talents (LVL 90)

Ring of Peace

Instant, 2 min cooldown

Forms a sanctuary around you, causing all enemies to be unable to attack or cast harmful spells while within it. Lasts 10 seconds.

Rushing Jade Wind

40 yard range, Instant, 2 min cooldown

You encase the friendly or enemy target in a whirling jade tornado, becoming immune to all damage and healing and traveling at a quick speed in a distance in front of you.

Chi Cocoon

Channeled, 2 min cooldown

You encase the friendly or enemy target in a cocoon, shielding them from all outside damage and healing and causing them unable to attack. Deals x damage to enemies and y healing to allies every 1 second for 8 seconds.

Mists of Pandaria Press Tour Achievements
This is the list of achievements available during the Press Tour of Mists of Pandaria.

Originally Posted by MMO-Champion

General

Mystically Superior - Equip a superior item in every slot with a minimum item level of 463.

Mystically Epic - Equip an epic item in every slot with a minimum item level of 476.

Full Bronze: Mists of Pandaria - Achieve a Bronze Challenge in every Mists of Pandaria dungeon. Title: The Challenged (NNF)

Full Silver: Mists of Pandaria - Achieve a Silver Challenge in every Mists of Pandaria dungeon.

Full Gold: Mists of Pandaria - Achieve a Gold Challenge in every Mists of Pandaria dungeon. Reward: Sweet Mount

Feats of Strength

Realm First: Gold Challenge: Stormstout Brewery

Realm First: Gold Challenge: Temple of the Jade Serpent

Realm First: Full Gold: Mists of Pandaria

Realm First: Full Silver: Mists of Pandaria

World of Warcraft®: Mists of Pandaria™
March 2012 Media Event FAQSome of the stuff in this FAQ was covered above or is already widely known but it's still a interesting read.

Q: What is World of Warcraft®: Mists of Pandaria™?

Escalating tensions between the Alliance and Horde have broken out into open warfare. The roar of cannons blacken the sky while naval engagements around the globe fill the seas with blood. As the clash of mortal armies spins the world into chaos, a continent -- once shielded by impenetrable mists -- suddenly manifests itself in the southern oceans. There's no question that this resource-rich new land will be at the center of a global conflict. Will the Mists of Pandaria part to reveal Azeroth's salvation? Or will this new battlefield become the flashpoint that pushes the Alliance and Horde over the brink into total annihilation?

Mists of Pandaria is the fourth expansion set to Blizzard Entertainment's critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft. The new expansion opens up an exotic new land for heroes to explore and provides a wide variety of exciting new features and content that will give players even more ways to enjoy the game.

For info on the story and lore of Mists of Pandaria, including background on the pandaren race, key characters and factions, and the history of Pandaria, see the Lore & Story section later in this FAQ.

MISTS OF PANDARIA GAMEPLAY

Q: What are the features of World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria?

The new expansion introduces a wide variety of new features and systems, including a new continent, new race, new class, and more:

New Playable Race -- Pandaren: Decide whether to side with the Alliance or the Horde as World of Warcraft's first neutral playable race, and explore their unique starting zone: the Wandering Isle.
New Playable Class -- Monk: Unlock the secrets of pandaren martial arts and do battle as a damage dealer, healer, or tank.
New Continent: Explore the lush Jade Forest, treacherous Kun-Lai Summit, and other exotic new zones of Pandaria designed for high-level characters.
Scenarios: Join up with some friends to achieve a common goal, such as mounting a defense against invading monsters, in a flexible new type of PvE challenge.
Dungeon "Challenge" Modes: Master the ultimate 5-player time trial and earn prestige rewards in a new dungeon mode that will put your resolve and coordination to the test.
Pet Battles: Challenge other players' companion pets with your own collection in a new tactical mini-game. Level up your companions and discover pets in the wild to round out your roster.
Level Cap Increased to 90: Learn potent new spells and abilities while exploring uncharted zones and taking on challenging new content.
New Talent System: Customize your character to suit your play style with the newly overhauled and improved talent system.

Q: What is the monk class? How does it differ from other classes in the game?

The monk is a martial arts expert who excels in close-quarters hand-to-hand combat, and can fill the role of a tank (Brewmaster), damage-dealer (Windwalker), or healer (Mistweaver), depending on a player's chosen specialization. Monks build up energy through a combination of punches, kicks, and other basic martial arts moves, and then expend it to unleash powerful special moves, such as finishers or potent heals. As with most classes in the game with the exception of death knights, monks begin their journey at level 1.

Q: Which races can be a monk?

Since coming into contact with members of the Horde and the Alliance, several of Pandaria's masters have begun to teach their new allies the secrets of their ancient martial arts. Currently, every race except goblin and worgen can learn the ways of the monk.

Q: At what point do pandaren characters choose which faction to side with?

Pandaren who strike out to explore the world outside their homeland begin their journey on the Wandering Isle (a new starting zone for pandaren characters level 1 to 10), where they face a number of trials -- and meet with a number of characters from both the Alliance and the Horde -- before arriving in Kalimdor or the Eastern Kingdoms. Pandaren remain neutral through most of their Wandering Isle quests, but before they leave, players will need to make a crucial decision whether to permanently side with the Alliance or the Horde. After that decision is made, the character will be treated just like any other member of their chosen faction in cities, on quests, and in character interactions. Choose wisely, because once your decision is made, it's irreversible (except through the Faction Change service).

Q: Which classes are available to pandaren players?

Currently, pandaren can choose to be hunters, mages, priests, rogues, shaman, warriors, and -- of course -- monks. Pandaren are not able to become death knights, druids, paladins, or warlocks.

Q: What end-game content will be available for players at level 90?

One of our primary design goals for Mists of Pandaria is to give players a wider variety of content and different types of gameplay to enjoy once they reach maximum level, in addition to the Heroic dungeons, raids, and daily quests that they're used to. To that end, we are introducing three major new features in the new expansion -- scenarios, challenge modes for 5-player dungeons, and companion pet battles -- and focusing on improving the end-game experience you're familiar with.

Here's just some of the content we're working on for players to enjoy once they reach level 90:

A huge variety of daily quests to choose from, with dynamic stories that change and progress as you complete quest content over time
Multiple group-based scenarios that players can run in addition to dungeons to earn Valor Points and gear
9 dungeons, including six brand-new Pandaria dungeons with normal and Heroic modes, and three new Heroics based on the classic Scarlet Monastery and Scholomance dungeons
Challenge modes for the six new dungeons designed for players looking for the ultimate test of their dungeon-delving skills, complete with suitably epic transmogrifiable rewards
A variety of new factions to join forces with, offering unique gameplay mechanics and rewards
2 new Battlegrounds offering different styles of PvP gameplay and objectives, along with a new Arena
3 raids featuring epic encounters with sinister new villains, each with Raid Finder, normal, and Heroic modes
And more... Our goal is to deliver a huge variety of content for level-90 players to enjoy, at launch and beyond

Q: What are Scenarios?

Scenarios are a new type of PvE challenge designed for groups of as few as 3 or as many as 25 players, depending on what is appropriate for the content. Scenarios require players to band together to complete a specific goal. For example, you might be asked to help a pandaren brewmaster complete her masterwork brew in the midst of a lightning storm, and then escort her to a nearby temple against a howling rain and persistent assault. Once there, you'll use the powers of her new brew to help defeat a boss and his minions.

Although there are no specific class requirements, players will need to work together to accomplish each scenario's unique objectives. Scenarios will be instanced, and we're designing them to take about 10 to 30 minutes each to complete. We're also planning a "Scenario Finder" similar to the Dungeon Finder and Raid Finder that will make it easy for players to quickly find a group.

Q: What are Challenge Modes for 5-player dungeons?

Challenge mode is a new, advanced mode for 5-player dungeons designed for players looking for the ultimate test of coordination and skill. In challenge modes, players are tasked with trying to complete an existing 5-player dungeon as quickly and skillfully as possible. Depending on how well the group does, players will receive recognizable prestige rewards such as mounts, pets, titles, achievements, or special armor artwork that can be used with transmogrification to customize a character's appearance. The inspiration for challenge modes comes from events such as the 45-minute Baron Rivendare runs in the original Stratholme dungeon, or the timed Zul'Aman dungeon run for the Amani War Bear.

We want challenge modes to be a test of player skill and not of player gear, and so the stats on all players' armor and equipment will be normalized to a set level upon beginning a challenge. As a result, players will have the same chance at victory whether they are wearing quest rewards or Heroic-raid-level epic items. Regardless of equipment, challenge modes will remain just as challenging at the end of the expansion as they were at the beginning.

Q: What are companion pet battles?

In Mists of Pandaria, we're adding a new tactical mini-game that allow players to pit their roster of companion pets against other players' pets (or against special creatures you come across in the wild) in strategic, turn-based combat. Pets will level up as they earn combat experience, and each companion will have its own set of stats, such as attack and defense rating. As pets level up, players will be able to choose which abilities their pets will learn, each with its own tactical merits. During a pet battle, players will be able to swap companions out strategically depending on which pet they're facing or what abilities might come in handy against a given foe.

Players will be able to hunt for approximately 100 wild pets across all of Azeroth, each with randomized stats and levels. Players can further customize their pets by giving them names. We're also planning a number of other features, including a Pet Journal showing where and how to capture wild pets, pet-battle-specific achievements and stats, and a way to queue for PvP battles.

Pet battles are meant to be completely independent from your character's main progression, and the rewards won't offer additional advantages in regular PvP or PvE situations such as Battlegrounds or raids -- though they should help pass the time while you're waiting for your group to recoup from a particularly nasty wipe.

Q: What's in store for dungeons and raids?

Every raid in Mists of Pandaria will include three difficulty levels: normal (10- and 25-player), Heroic (10- and 25-player), and a specially tuned third mode accessible via the Raid Finder (25-player only) designed with pick-up groups in mind. We're very happy with how many players have been able to experience the Dragon Soul (patch 4.3) raid content -- especially the climactic boss encounter with Deathwing -- following the release of the Raid Finder, and we'll continue to provide higher difficulty levels for players looking for the most epic challenges and rewards.

At launch, we're planning to have six brand-new dungeons (with normal and Heroic modes) as well as three new Heroic modes for classic dungeons, including two based on Scarlet Monastery and one based on Scholomance. We're also planning three raids at launch featuring a host of sinister new villains and epic encounters with ancient evils that have been hiding in the mists for millennia.

Q: What are the new zones?

The continent of Pandaria will consist of seven enormous zones for players level 85 and above, and new pandaren players will begin their adventures in a unique starting zone separate from the pandaren homeland. Since our original unveiling of Mists of Pandaria at BlizzCon, we've added two additional zones for players to explore -- Krasarang Wilds and the Dread Wastes -- substantially increasing the continent's size (we didn't simply split up existing zones) and expanding the diversity of Pandaria's already wild and varied landscape. Here's the breakdown of the zones, along with their current working names:

The Jade Forest: High-level adventurers will make landfall in the lush Jade Forest, where they'll meet some of Pandaria's indigenous races, such as the fish-like jinyu and monkey-like hozen.
Valley of the Four Winds: Featuring rolling green hills and lush pandaren farmland, the Valley of the Four Winds is where travelers will find the legendary Stormstout Brewery.
Kun-Lai Summit: Amid this treacherous, icy mountain terrain, players will encounter the Shado-Pan, a clandestine sect charged with keeping one of Pandaria's darkest secrets.
Townlong Steppes: Here, a tremendous wall separates Pandaria's verdant forests and plains from the desolate wasteland left in the wake of the ravenous, all-consuming mantid.
Krasarang Wilds: A dense strand of jungle occupying Pandaria's southernmost shore, the Krasarang Wilds are home to lost ruins and a chain of dangerous islands.
Dread Wastes: The mantid homeland, now overrun by the Sha of Fear, has been corrupted into a horrifying wasteland of swamps and scorched earth. Players will have to fight their way into the lair of the mantid queen herself to rout out the source of the corruption.
Vale of Eternal Blossoms: This lush valley in the center of Pandaria hosts a secret power dating back to the time of the Titans. The city complex at its heart will be players' home away from home, but max-level players will need to defend it against constantly changing daily threats.
The Wandering Isle: Pandaren adventurers looking to explore the world outside Pandaria begin their journey here, on a mysterious island that never seems to settle in the same place for too long.

Q: What changes are being made to the talent system?

We are making a couple of major changes to how class specializations and talents work in Mists of Pandaria. First, your specialization is now completely independent from your talent choices. When you reach level 10, you will still choose one of three specs (e.g. Discipline, Holy, or Shadow priest) to determine your role, play style, and which signature abilities your character has access to. In addition, you'll receive more of your spec's defining abilities as you level up.

Secondly, the talent system has been redesigned completely. At regular level intervals (at level 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90), players will now be able to choose between one of three very powerful talents. All three specializations will have access to the same three talent options, and our goal is to make sure that these talent choices are appealing to all three specializations with no obvious "must-have" options for any of them. For example, level-15 warriors will be able to choose one of three movement-related talents: Juggernaut, which permanently lowers the cooldown of Charge; Double Time, which lets the warrior Charge twice before incurring a cooldown; or Warbringer, which knocks the target to the ground and stuns it following a Charge. Once you choose a talent in a specific tier, the other two talents are locked out from your talent build, even when you reach the next talent tier. We want players to be able to change their talent build independently of their specialization, and without visiting a class trainer. This new system is designed to provide players with hundreds of distinct and meaningful options for tailoring their character's gameplay to their specific desires and situation.

If you want to get a feel for how the system will work, check out the Mists of Pandaria talent calculator on the official World of Warcraft website. There you can create a talent spec using the latest in-development talent trees for your favorite class.

Q: Why is the talent system going through an overhaul?

As with the talent-system redesign in Cataclysm, our goal is ultimately to give players more meaningful character-customization options and to eliminate "cookie-cutter" talent builds. We were only partially successful in realizing that goal in Cataclysm, as many talents still felt mandatory to a given specialization, and some talent choices in the trees were still not particularly interesting or exciting. By giving the benefits of the previously "mandatory" talents to players automatically as part of their specialization choice, and allowing any specialization to choose any given talent, we hope to be able to give players much more significant and interesting decisions to make about their character.

Q: Will players be allowed to fly in Pandaria?

Upon arrival in Pandaria, players will be restricted from flying until they reach a certain point in their quest progression. While the ability to fly is a great convenience for players once they have completed content, we can provide a much more enjoyable, rewarding, and varied questing experience if players are (mostly) grounded while the story of Pandaria unfolds.

MISTS OF PANDARIA LORE & STORY

Q: How will the story of Mists of Pandaria unfold?

Offering a unique change of pace from the globe-trotting chaos of Cataclysm, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria focuses on the exploration and potential colonization of a single, massive new continent. The adventure will unfold over a number of stages:

Mists of Pandaria: The "out of the box" expansion experience focuses on the discovery and exploration of Pandaria. Both Horde and Alliance players will have to try to swing the locals to their side of the conflict... but their actions will bring unforeseen and disastrous consequences. Devastating "Sha" energy, a physical manifestation of negative emotions that has been locked away for thousands of years, is brought to the surface once war comes to Pandaria's shores. The battle to win over the hearts and minds of the pandaren takes on a new urgency as the darkness of the Sha plunges the land into chaos. Among other things, Sha energy infects the ferocious mantid, triggering a horrific swarm. Meanwhile, Mogu warlords reconnect with their ancient Zandalari allies in an attempt to recapture their former imperial glory. Far from Alliance and Horde resupply, players must solve these local problems while learning about the enigmatic pandaren race... and a little about their own nature in the process.

The Pandaria Campaign: Beginning shortly after the release of Mists of Pandaria, a series of content updates will advance the story of the Alliance and Horde campaign on the new continent. The campaign will kick off when the fleets arrive and claim Pandaria's southern shores, permanently altering the area. As King Varian Wrynn struggles to unite the Alliance for a meaningful counter-attack, Garrosh Hellscream will battle to turn the disparate parts of the Horde into a frenzied killing machine. Telling a complete story arc, the Pandaren Campaign will climax in a raid that will reset the balance of power in the world of Azeroth.

Q: Who are the pandaren?

The pandaren are an ancient, intelligent race who have been cut off from the world at large since the time of the great sundering that split apart the continents of Azeroth.
If a single trait could sum up the pandaren culture, it's that they live in the moment. They embrace life with gusto. A pandaren does everything with vigor, focus, and intensity. Every meal is an event. Every moment with the family is cherished. Every project or work of art demands their full attention. Every nap is treated as if it will be the last! The pandaren work hard, play hard, fight like animals, love with all their soul, tell impossibly tall tales, drink like they mean it, and sleep like the dead.

On the whole, pandaren are slow to anger and prefer measured solutions to problems. But underneath all of that practiced civility, there is a bear to contend with. When a pandaren focuses on combat, each blow rings with the weight of his or her entire body. Living "in the moment" also means getting lost in the fury of combat; a pandaren monk in the midst of battle has fists like wrecking balls and a roar that can be heard from horizon to horizon.
However, it takes a great deal to get a pandaren wound up. On mainland Pandaria, negative emotions such as fear, anger, or despair can literally take on a physical form and stir up trouble. For this reason, pandaren emphasize and cultivate a quiet life of inner harmony and focus. Conflicts, no matter how bitter, are quickly forgotten over cold drinks once the matter is resolved. The pandaren sense of inner peace and love of life is infectious. Spend any significant time with a pandaren and you, too, can't help but get lost in the moment.

Q: Why has Pandaria been hidden this whole time?

A veil of impenetrable mists has cloaked Pandaria since the time of the Sundering and the reign of the last pandaren emperor. Previously, ships entering the mists have lost their bearings and spun about aimlessly before returning to the open ocean. As for the pandaren, they looked out toward the mist-veiled seas and many presumed that the rest of the world had perished in the Sundering.

Sometime in the wake of the Cataclysm, the mists abruptly vanished. Alliance and Horde naval fleets, engaged in skirmishes around the world thanks to the new Warchief's aggression, suddenly found a new continent where once charts showed open seas. With both factions escalating their feud into a global conflict, the war for Azeroth shifts in a new direction.

Why did the mists collapse at this crucial moment in world history? The answers revolve around the will of the last emperor, and lie at the heart of this strange new continent....

Q: What is the pandaren starting zone, the Wandering Isle?

Many generations ago, a particularly bold pandaren named Liu Lang set out to see what was beyond the mists by setting sail upon the back of a giant sea turtle. As the turtle grew, so did Liu Lang's desire to explore the world. Others joined him, until eventually a whole colony of pandaren explorers travelled the ocean, living atop the expansive "Wandering Isle." Although the Wandering Isle hasn't made landfall in many years, those who live there are still ignited by the spirit of adventure.

Chen Stormstout is a native of the Wandering Isle, as are any players who choose to create pandaren characters. They are a rare breed, on the whole far more adventurous than their land-locked and long-lost relatives on mainland Pandaria.

Q: Will all of the pandaren join the Horde or the Alliance?

Just as it's comparatively rare for a pandaren to be struck with an urge to wander the world, it's rarer still that one would feel compelled to align oneself with a faction such as the Horde or Alliance. Only those who are convinced these factions are the key to healing Azeroth would even consider pledging their allegiance to one faction or the other.

The decision to join a faction comes at great personal cost, as any fellow pandaren who join the opposite faction -- including friends or relatives -- will likely never be heard from again. Pandaren who choose to align themselves with the Alliance or Horde do so because of shared values and personal beliefs regarding their overall worldview and the best way to move forward after the Cataclysm.

Guiding the decision to join a faction are two competing pandaren disciplines that are prominent on the Wandering Isle. Those who follow the path of the Houjin are impulsive, quick to action, and practical. Houjin disciples feel that the ends can justify the means, and they may find like-minded compatriots in the Horde. In opposition, followers of the path of the Tushui are more contemplative, focused on abstract ideals of justice and morality. Students of Tushui believe that a principled life is the only one worth living, and may find that the stalwart Alliance aligns more closely with their beliefs.

Every pandaren player will need to make this difficult decision early on in their adventure. The vast majority of the pandaren population, however, will continue to follow the traditional path of isolationism and neutrality.

Q: Who are the pandaren leaders or figureheads for the Horde and Alliance?

After the climactic events on the Wandering Isle, two pandaren monks will travel with players to the rest of the world to spread the wisdom of the pandaren.

Aysa Cloudsinger is a follower of the path of Tushui. She believes in living a venerable life through meditation, rigorous training, and moral conviction. Described as graceful and poised, Aysa has attained impeccable form and a refined intellect through diligent practice. To Aysa, to follow the way of Tushui is to defend what is right above all else. She believes that success in any endeavor never justifies dishonorable deeds. While the Alliance contains a diverse mix of cultures, Aysa is attracted to the high ideals and values that cement the Alliance together.

Ji Firepaw, a follower of the more direct Houjin philosophy, is adamant that inaction is the greatest injustice. Ji holds that it's honorable to defend home and family no matter the cost. Outgoing, passionate, and not one for deep thought, he is always the first into the fray. Ji finds himself attracted to the scrappy practicality that defines the Horde. Although it will cost him dearly, he will decide to carry the Horde banner when he leaves the Wandering Isle.

Q: Do the pandaren have a history of interaction with the Horde and Alliance?

Pandaren wanderers are very rare, but the deeds of a few are recorded in recent times. One brave soul that spirited his way into the annals of Azerothian history was the brewmaster Chen Stormstout. Warcraft III players may recall his chance meeting with Rexxar in the game's bonus missions, where he worked together with Thrall to found the new orcish homeland in Durotar. Later, he accompanied heroes such as Vol'jin and Jaina Proudmoore to liberate Theramore and protect the fledgling Horde from annihilation. Never one to stay put for long, Chen moved on, always seeking new ingredients for the perfect brew. Players will be able to catch up with him as he resumes his adventures on the pandaren mainland.

Q: What's the story behind the pandaren monks?

Nearly 12,000 years ago, the empire now known as Pandaria was ruled by a monstrous race of warlords known as the Mogu (see below). Mogu taskmasters forbade their slaves to carry weapons. During these dark times, pandaren monks tried to lift the spirits of their beleaguered brothers and sisters. They were the storytellers, the brewmasters, and the healers who helped knit their oppressed society together in the midst of darkness.
As the Mogu empire began to fray, the pandaren saw an opportunity for a revolution. Because they had no weapons, they trained common people to fight with their unarmed fists and feet. They mastered the use of positive energy -- or chi -- to empower themselves. The revolution itself was a bloody affair that shattered an empire and left a terrible toll among combatant and civilian alike, but ultimately the Mogu were overthrown and a new empire was founded.

Although pandaren monks have since incorporated weapons into their attacks, they remain focused on chi as a source of power and are still devastating when fighting with open hands. In the wake of events on the Wandering Isle, pandaren monks will travel to key places throughout Azeroth to share their wisdom with young Alliance and Horde trainees.

Q: What sorts of local threats will adventurers face on Pandaria?

Just because Pandaria is isolated doesn't mean the continent is at all peaceful. Looming dangers, new and old, threaten to overwhelm the empire as players arrive.

The Mogu are an ancient race of monstrous warlords who founded the first empire through conquest and oppression. They enslaved nearby indigenous races and used their labor to build structures of awe-inspiring majesty, some of which still stand. Masters of flesh-shaping magic, they assured their dominance through cruel experimentation. Only by mastering unarmed combat were the ancient pandaren able to overthrow this terrible regime. After the mists collapse, the remaining Mogu get together with old allies and attempt to retake the empire that their ancestors founded.

The Mantid are an intelligent and highly evolved race of insect-like creatures who have menaced the people of Pandaria since prehistoric times. While their society has a queen, they don't operate as a hive mind. Mantid act with individual cunning, making them formidable in single combat and unstoppable when their numbers converge. Every mantid generation, the young hatch in incredible numbers and then swarm toward the rest of Pandaria, devouring anything in their path. Only the strongest return. Although the ancient mogu managed to protect their lands by building a gigantic wall between themselves and the mantid, the generational swarms require an all-hands defense of the wall or the very heart of Pandaria will be lost.

Finally, Sha is a dark energy unique to Pandaria, a legacy left behind by the last pandaren emperor. Fear, doubt, despair, anger, violence, and hatred are all emotions associated with the Sha -- emotions that can manifest themselves physically if left unchecked. Unwary mortals can become possessed by negative Sha energy, becoming embodiments of pure anger or fear. When the Alliance and Horde bring their war to the shores of Pandaria, these negative emotions threaten to engulf the continent.

Q: What other new races will emerge from Pandaria?

After millennia of isolation from the rest of Azeroth, several unique indigenous races have developed alongside the pandaren on the ancient continent.

Ferocious and impetuous, the hozen are a short-lived race. They have their own uniquely filthy language and a determination to always improve their station, no matter how inept their efforts. While the pandaren respect their tenacious hunger for life they're also wary of the chaos created by such recklessness. The ever-expanding hozen are often the bane of the nearby jinyu, and it's up to the pandaren to play the role of reluctant peacekeeper.

The industrious and amphibious jinyu dam the rivers in order to create lakes around which they make their home. The jinyu live under a rigid caste system, with warriors and priests chosen at a young age. Many of the jinyu elders are Waterspeakers. Placing a staff into the river, these sages listen to the knowledge of the island as it flows downstream. Any events that touch the rivers will make their way down to the jinyu, giving the Waterspeakers a connection to the future. While the pandaren balk at the overly rigid structure of jinyu life, they hold in great reverence this power to gain insight into what's to come.

The cloud serpents are an intelligent race of dragon-like beings inhabiting the island. They exist in a wide array of shimmering colors. Some may be the bright green of the treetops through which they fly, while others may be the sparkling blue of the stream or the shocking crimson of flame -- their beauty always complementing their beloved land. Pandaren will often raise the playful creatures from hatchling to adulthood, as their cleverness and speed make them excellent mounts. While a handful have become corrupt or dangerous, the vast majority coexist happily with the other inhabitants of the island.

Other unique races include the dangerous lizard-like saurok, the superstitious diminutive grummles, the obnoxious scavenging virmen, or the ferocious nomadic yaungol tribes.

Q: What new factions await adventurers in Pandaria?

The Shado-Pan: The bravest and most disciplined of pandaren fighters, the Shado-Pan were established by the last Pandaren emperor to act as guardians against the negative Sha energy that permeates the continent. Part of their duties also involves manning the mighty wall that protects the pandaren homeland from the dangerous mantid race. They welcome the assistance of any who have the bravery and skill to aid them in their sacred charge.
The August Celestials: Four powerful ancestor spirits have always watched over the lands of the pandaren: Yu'lon the Jade Serpent, Xuen the White Tiger, Chi Ji the Red Crane, and Niuzao the Black Ox. Each of their four temples will call on the service of bold adventurers.
The Golden Lotus: Nestled in the center of Pandaria is the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, an ancient place of great power that's been around since the time of the Titans. The Vale and its magical waters were once used as a weapon by the Mogu, and after their overthrow it was decided to seal off the vale from any intruders. The Golden Lotus is an order of pandaren priests and fighters who defend and maintain this sacred land. Members are specifically chosen at a young age by one of the four August Celestials.
The Klaxxi: Keepers of the mantid culture, these stoic mantid lords have determined that their own queen has been corrupted and must be destroyed. Although wary of outsiders, it may be possible to earn the trust of the Klaxxi, gaining access to their unique arms and armor.
Order of the Cloud Serpent: This order of flying warriors was founded long ago, during the Zandalari wars. Gain their favor, and they'll reveal the secrets of training a cloud serpent to become a loyal mount.
The Lorewalkers: This peaceful faction has been charged with safeguarding pandaren history and culture. Intrepid explorers can win their favor by collecting historical artifacts from around the world.
Artisans: Many Brewmasters have wandered the world in search of exotic ingredients to expand their craft, while the Tillers and Anglers are simple farmer and fisher folk, respectively. These three factions are the backbone of civilian life on Pandaria, and offering assistance to these artisans will reap great rewards.